Eating Late Doesn't Make Kids Gain Weight, Says Study

Late dinners are now a go. Results from a recent study by researchers at King’s College London suggest that there is no significant link between a post-8 p.m. evening meal and weight gain in children.

Researchers studied the eating habits of 1,620 children from ages four to 18 by asking their parents to keep food diaries and provide BMI measurements. The result: no correlation between weighing too much and eating late. The results are surprising because previous studies have suggested the time at which you eat affects your circadian rhythms and metabolism, making weight gain more likely when you eat at a later hour. But the new research suggests that this might not be the case.

While there are limitations to the study, such as potentially inaccurate reporting in the food diaries or the limited number of kids who actually ate after 8 p.m., it's enough to make us feel better about our 9:30 p.m. dinner reservations.